Clarissa Falls Resort is situated in La Clarissa Fall Ranch, owned by Ramon Galvez Sr., son of Jose Maria Galvez Nunez and Ines Castellanos. La Clarissa Ranch is a working cattle ranch operated by Ramon Sr.’s three sons, Jose Antonio Ramon Sr., and Alfonzo Galvez. Clarissa Falls Resort was built and is operated by Ramon Sr’s Youngest daughter Azucena Galvez.

It was Jose Maria Galvez’s vision which led to the purchase and development of La Clarissa Ranch on the land historically owned by Thomas and Clarissa Paslow. Clarissa Center Paslow, a free colored creole woman, with thin lips, a Roman nose and a thrifty stingy disposition had been a slave belonging to Mr. Williams Pits. Pits schooled Clarissa and she was an asset to him and her second proprietor Captain James Pitts Lawrie.

Clarissa held great status among the other slaves of the district, and they called her high-minded. Captain Lawrie valued Clarissa’s ability, but his wife felt uncomfortable that a slave was smarter and better educated than herself and also had the nerve to admonish her about thrift and cleanliness.

One day Captain James Lawrie was taken aback by a strange impetuous young man who wanted to marry Clarissa within a week of first seeing her. “Does Clarissa know about this?” ask the captain. “Aye” the young man replied, and she said Yes but I’ll buy her freedom from you at whatever price you state. It’s marrying what I intend”, he continue.

In 1779, Clarissa was about 20 years old when there was much talk of war to defend the shores of then British Honduras from the Spaniards and Clarissa Longed for war. It was not until 1798 at the Battle of St. George’s Caye, that Clarissa and others clutched their hearts atop Fort Wexford rooftop (where the commercial center stands today on the site of the old market) as distant thunder and flash of guns reflected on low flying clouds. The tension was unbearable, but Clarissa had to be strong to protect the country, keeping the cannon filled in case she had to fire.

Paslow had a number of properties on the Belize River, More Tomorrow, Paslow Falls and Clarissa Falls. All where Logging camps.

More: The story in the book “On The Way to Glory” written by Emory King